Florence Insider Tips

Authorized Florence tour guide Valentina
has been showing people around Tuscany for more than ten years. We
asked for her expert opinions on the highlights of Florence – what to
see, what to eat, and how to make the most of your visit – and here’s
what she had to say:

Uffizi Gallery

One of my favourite paintings has always been Botticelli’s Primavera,
also known as “Allegory of Spring.” The picture celebrates the arrival
of spring and is filled with mythological symbolism. It was created at a
time when religion no longer needed to be the main subject of artist
work. If the mythological works had been painted 100 years earlier, they
would not have been accepted by the church because the paintings were
so different than traditional artwork.

My favourite artist is Caravaggio (1573-1610).
Probably the most revolutionary artist of his time, the Italian painter
Caravaggio abandoned the rules that had guided a century of artists
before him, which idealized the human and religious experience.
Caravaggio’s style of painting is easily recognizable for its realism
that was hardly appreciated back then; the artist shows everything, from
dirty fingernails, to the dirty bottoms of feet, to the bruises and
worm holes on apples and the holes in pierced ears. Have a look at his
painting Bacchus.

It is easy to walk through the Uffizi Gallery and miss the message, the meaning and history behind the key pieces. The best way to organize your visit
is with an expert by your side explaining what you’re seeing and
providing you with tools to understand the context of the artwork.

During peak season it will be very very crowded; if you book a tour that includes museums make sure you also ask your tour guide to make ticket reservations. This way you’ll have just a few minutes wait to get in and you’ll be able to skip the long lines outside. Or buy Uffizi Gallery Skip-the-Line tickets ahead of time.